Is Checking References Worth the Effort?

Q. Is checking a candidate’s references worth the effort since most companies won’t give references anyway?

I conduct references for every candidate I represent for one of our searches. I believe this is part of the due diligence process prior to hiring someone. Top talent have references and can always provide someone either currently in the company or that has left the company. I discovered long ago that CEO’s violate their own policy on references for top performers. They will never do it for anyone else.

It is important to inform the candidate at the beginning of the hiring process that references will be required. Too often companies wait until the end of the process before asking for references. Letting the candidate know that this is not a request, but a requirement up front is critical to getting proper references.

The common belief is that candidates will only give references that they know will say positive things. That isn’t always true. Often it’s not what the reference says, but how they say it that counts.

In our search practice it is our policy that if a candidate can only provide references that will only provide name, rank and serial number that is code for walk away. Top talent have references.

To download the free chapter on Conducting an Effective Phone Interview from our book “This Is NOT The Position I Accepted” CLICK HERE and then click on the Free Search Resources link.

How effective is your job search?  If you are not sure, download our free 8 Matrix Job Search Self-Assessment Scorecard. CLICK HERE and then click on the Free Search Resources link.

I welcome your thoughts and comments.

Brad Remillard

Don’t Assume You Will Get A Good Reference

Time and time again candidates assume when a person tells them they will be a reference, it means a good reference. Not true. In a recent poll 54% said they were given a reference and it turned out bad. This busts the theory that people will only give references they “KNOW” will give them a good reference.
This radio show explores who your references should be, what is expected for a GREAT reference and how to properly prepare you reference.
You should never fall in the 54% again. A GREAT reference can be the tipping point for you to get the position versus someone else that gets either bad or just a good reference.

If you want to listen to this recording or to download it CLICK HERE.

Caution: Don’t Assume All References Will Be Good. Surprising Poll.

I was recently facilitating our, You’re NOT The Person I Hired, workshop with CEOs and key executives. As is often the case the subject of reference checking came up. Most in the audience tended to agree that checking references is a waste of time. After all, candidates only give references they are sure will say positives things about them. Don’t you agree?

Then a CFO sitting in the back raised his hand to disagree. He told the story of a controller he was about to hire near the border in Texas. This was a difficult position to fill as there were a lot of specific requirements. Finally, after an arduous search he found his person. She had all of the qualifications and most importantly he really like her. The final step was to conduct a few reference checks. She handed him of list of 30 references. WOW he thought, this person really has a lot of people willing to vouch for her. So he picked 5 and started calling. The first call was to a former boss. He called and introduced himself and explained he was calling to conduct a reference check on Mary. The line went silent. The pause was so long that he thought they had been disconnected and asked if the reference was still on the line. The reference replied yes and then stated, “Mary gave me as reference? I can’t believe it. We fired her because she stole from us. She did pay us back, but she stole from us.” Now there was silence from him. He didn’t know what to say or how to respond.

This is just one of many examples of what can happen on a reference check and why you should always perform your due diligence.

I know you are thinking, “Well that will never happen to me.” That is what everyone thinks or they wouldn’t give the reference in the first place. You can blow this off or take the appropriate action to ensure it doesn’t happen to you.

Pre-qualifying your references isn’t asking if they will be a reference for you. It isn’t even asking if they will be a good reference for you. It is asking them specifically what they will say when a reference check is conducted. You know the person conducting the reference check is going to probe for weaknesses, areas for improvement, how you will rank on  a scale of 1-10 compared to others, would they rehire you, and other standard questions. Trust but verify what the person is going to say.

I have conducted thousands of reference checks in my 30 year career as an executive recruiter. I have learned that more often than not someone will give me a reference they expect to be positive and it turns negative. It is for this reason that I always check references. Like the CFO in this example it has saved me from making some big mistakes. It only takes one bad reference to realize that catching that one person was worth all of the others.

I conducted a poll on LinkedIn in which 54% replied that they have had people give them a negative reference. This goes to show you that even though the person giving the reference expects a positive reference, they often don’t get one.

SOME FREE TOOLS AND RESOURCES

To validate that your job search doesn’t have any loop holes, download our free Job Search Self-Assessment Scorecard to see if your job search is the best it can be. CLICK HERE to download.

Join our LinkedIn Job Search Networking Group. This group has over 5,300 members. It is loaded with great articles, discussions, and resources for you to take advantage of. CLICK HERE to join.

Our audio library has over 50 job search audio lessons for everyone to download. These audio lessons cover just about every topic one will encounter during a job search. If you would like to view some of these lessons they are free. CLICK HERE to see the list.

I welcome all thoughts and comments.

Brad Remillard

Know Your References Well. It Isn’t What They Say, It’s How They Say It.

We often do one-on-one job search coaching with candidates. This is a three month program where we cover all aspects of a person’s search, and work weekly to ensure that everything is being done to expedite their search. We cover issues that might arise before they arise, discuss areas of conflict, develop a marketing plan, perform interviews, review resumes and tough interview questions, compensation negotiations and check references. It is very comprehensive, and often hidden issues that would keep the candidate from getting an interview or job are discovered and addressed before they become an issue. Too often the candidate never finds out why they didn’t get an interview or offer, when a little up front work would have solved the problem before it became a problem.

As part of this coaching, the candidate develops a complete set of references. The candidate always assures us that the reference has told them “They would give me a good reference.” A CEO I was working with had a board member as one of their references. I called to talk with this reference and make sure that all was well. It didn’t take long to realize that the reference, although not bad, was only average to barely passing. This is not something the candidate would want a company to hear. We went back to candidate and asked to talk to the other board members (at least two). They both had great things to say, and in fact, one was going to recommend the candidate for another position. It turned out the first person had a grudge to bear against the CEO. These two board members then became the references. Had we not done this, the candidate would have never found out why he didn’t get a particular position.

I don’t believe we were deceiving the company in any way. They asked for one board member and instead we offered two. We did not prep the references in any way. All we did was try and get the real picture of the CEO’s abilities without bias or from a person with a grudge.

This is just one of many very easy things to deal with before they become a problem. Do you pre-qualify your references before you give them out? You should.

When talking to a reference it isn’t always what they say, but how they say it that counts.

You can learn a lot more about references and the complete job search process in our job search workbook, “This is NOT The Position I Accepted.” We will send you the book to review for only the $5 cost of shipping. It will reduce the time you spend in search. CLICK HERE to review the books contents.

Join our Linkedin Job Search Networking group. The news articles, connections, networking, and discussions are a great resource for anyone looking for a position. CLICK HERE to join.

Get your Linkedin Profile Self-Assessment for Free on our Web site and make sure your profile is the best it can be. Go to http://www.impacthiringsolutions.com and scroll down to the WHAT’S NEW section and click the link.

We encourage your comments and feedback.

Brad Remillard